Commercial, industrial and residential spaces, such as malls, warehouse stores and other locations, typically have high ceilings from which promotional and similar display items frequently need to be displayed. These display items may consist of marketing materials such as merchandising displays, posters, placards and three-dimensional or two-dimensional point of purchase display items. Occasionally, actual merchandise may be suspended for view and promotion. For example, tools in home improvement stores are frequently suspended for display. In some work environments there is a need to hang tools above work spaces and assembly areas to make room for work activities. To remove and reinstall these items, when replacing or stowing and storing a tool or display, employees must scale a ladder or other similar apparatus to take down the displayed item.
A common method of removing and reinstalling display items is for an employee to climb up to the height of the item near the ceiling and manipulate it by hand. During this process, employees must frequently climb to a height of twelve feet or more, lean out of balance, and make multiple trips up and down depending on the number of items. Common climbing apparatus, such as A-frame ladders and the like, being generally narrow, are particularly ill suited for supporting persons at a great height due to their tendency to tip over. Because businesses frequently need to change multiple individual signs, there is a risk an employee will fall and cause injury at great expense to the employer.
Furthermore, using a ladder (or similar support) necessarily incurs additional expenses including purchasing costs, providing a secure storage location when not in use, and paying for added employee time to retrieve the ladder and put it away every time a display item needs to be changed. To the extent the ladder is frequently used, these expenses are compounded by the ongoing risk an employee will accidentally fall and cause injury as well as the possibility and danger of injury associated with using these ladders/devices around customers in the area under a display.
Certain apparatus and methods have been developed in the art for removing and replacing signage and similar items suspended from a substantial height. Predominantly, these involve employees manipulating a long pole or telescoping tool while standing on the ground. While they avoid the risk of falling, these technologies are disfavored. Long poles tend to flex along their length, and small movements by the employee grasping one end of a pole translates into large movements at the other end, making it unwieldy and difficult and dangerous to handle.
The difficulty in handling and manipulating pole-type apparatus also risks damage to lighting, ceiling structures, tiles and at times the employee losing control of the pole and the pole striking a customer in the vicinity of the employee. The weight of these apparatus can also be problematic when hanging, raising, and lowering items and/or displays. Like ladders, poles need to be stored, then retrieved and put away again in order to change displayed items.
For the above reasons, there is an need for an apparatus allowing easy display, adjusting and removal of displayed items hanging from a ceiling or from any substantial height. There is also need to eliminate the requirement for additional equipment such as ladders or poles, and the time, expense, and dangers inherent in operating them. Additionally, there is a need for a self contained apparatus that conveniently stows away when not in use.